Angels, Demons and the Worlds Ending
by Lord PotterXXVII
Summary: The sorceress and Tyrael share a night together prior to the destruction of the worldstone and together conceive a daughter, and 20 years later the progeny of Justice begins to follows in her parents footsteps just as Demons once again threaten humanity as her father falls upon Tristram.
1. Prolougue

Angels, Demons and the Worlds Ending

Rating: Teen, For Now

Warnings: Action violence, occasional fluff, ooc main characters, liberties taken with cannon timelines.

Authors Note: _After recently buying a copy of Diablo 3, Ultimate Evil Edition and playing through it with a few of the different classes before reading most of the fan fiction that has been written so far, I had an idea. If Demons can father children with mortals (As Diablo does with Adria), then why not Angels too? What would happen if Tyrael and the Sorceress had shared a night together just prior to the destruction of the worldstone in Diablo 2? Obviously All game copyrights and characters belong to Blizzard and I'm just borrowing them for fun. I will try to keep this as lore friendly as I can but some things including in game events and dialogue will change to fit where necessary._

Prologue

Kestrel slumped against the pillar, panting with exhaustion as her eyes met the dying form of the Lord of Destruction as her last blizzard spell sent him to the floor with shards of ice embedded in his chest. The battle had been long and the torn corpses of demons littered the chamber where she had fought for the very existence of humanity and the freedom of Sanctuary. Baal managed one last smirk and whispered to her just as the last of his unholy life ebbed away.

'You are too late little sorceress, soon your pathetic race shall be little more than pawns as all creation becomes the realm of hell. You shall pay for your meddling in ways you cannot begin to imagine….'

Kestrel turned towards the giant glowing stone as a fierce rumbling began to shake the chamber and as she slowly walked towards the stone which now began to pulse with waves of unholy power, Tyrael materialized. Despite the impending doom, Kestrel smiled up at the champion of justice.

His presence had always been a pillar of strength to her, even in the darkest of times as they had fought against the forces of the burning hells and the more she had known of him, the more she had grown to respect and care for him. The terrible burdens he bore in his selfless efforts to save humanity, and his willingness to go against the high heavens when most of his peers would never have dared had all stirred feelings she thought she would never feel for anyone, even the companions she had fought alongside during the long struggle that had been waged. But as Kestrel had tirelessly fought the forces of hell, little did she know that the archangel had begun to value and care for her more and more and in time began to mirror those same feelings that had stirred in her heart. Finally the two had confessed their feelings to each other on the evening before Kestrel had begun her final ascent of the sacred mountain to face the Lord of Destruction. They had shared one glorious night of passion together, the very thought of which made Kestrel's cheeks flush as she remembered how such a giant of a being had been so gentle and loving as they laid together during that one perfect night which had changed everything for her.

Tyrael's voice seemed to echo with sadness, one of only a few times she had ever heard the emotion in his words as he began to speak.

'Kestrel my love, Baal's power has corrupted the stone and unless it is stopped, then all humanity is doomed to become the thralls of the demons as the walls of reality collapse. I have no other choice but to destroy it, you must leave this place, and quickly. Get to Deckard Cain, get him out and warn the Barbarians to leave Harrogath and get clear of the mountain with all haste.'

Tears filled Kestrel's eyes, 'no! Tyrael you mustn't! You'll die!'

Tyrael came closer and enveloped her in his arms, pulling her against him and murmuring,

'I'm sorry Kestrel, there's no other way and no time to discuss this, but you and Deckard Cain are too important, and the people of Harrogath are innocent in this. This conflict is not of your making and you should not suffer for it. I will be fine, I will return when I may.'

With a gesture of his hands, Tyrael quickly cast a town portal spell.

'I will buy you all the time I may to get clear of the mountain, but do not linger any longer than you need to warn the people and collect Deckard. I shall always love you and shall never forget our time together even if we never meet again in this life.'

Tyrael lowered his hood revealing the smooth dark skin of his head below it before Kestrel put her arms around his neck and drew him in for a kiss, doing her utmost to express all the emotions she felt at that moment as the shaking began to grow worse and the unholy light emanating from the stone seemed to become stronger. After what felt like an eternity but in reality was only mere moments, Tyrael and Kestrel broke apart and with one look back as Tyrael drew El'Druin from its scabbard, she walked through the portal.

Materializing in the town square, Kestrel hurried to Anya and hurriedly said.

'Anya, get everyone out of the town now! Baal has been destroyed but his magic has corrupted the stone! Tyrael is doing all he can to destroy it but bade me to evacuate the town. We must hurry and escape, we may not have much time.'

Anya nodded and hurried off to warn the townspeople while Kestrel looked for Deckard Cain and soon found him near the town stables where he had secured a pair of horses which were saddled and ready to ride.

'I heard what you said to Anya my dear, if Tyrael means to destroy the stone then we have no time to waste, the energies that will be released will be vast and the destruction that shall result will be terrible. Now if you would be so kind and help an old man onto his mount?'

Kestrel smiled and after she had helped the old man onto his horse she quickly climbed onto hers before they began to join the crowd of townsfolk heading out of the gate and onto the lower slopes of the mountain. Urging their horses faster, Kestrel and Deckard followed the road as fast as they could and had only travelled a few miles from the base of the mountain when the ground began to shake beneath them. Kestrel felt a wave of raw magical energy pulse overhead, before, with a roar greater than any noise she had ever heard, the mountain split apart and collapsed into a smoking crater as a rush of air flattened every tree for at least a mile from the mountains base. Kestrel heard the panicked neighing as her horse reared and had to quickly seize the reins to prevent herself from being thrown as her and Deckard's horses were spooked by the explosion. When everything settled to a quiet stillness which felt almost unnatural to Kestrel she felt the tears begin to flow down her face as the shock finally caught up with her.

Deckard trotted next to her and put a comforting arm around her and she wept into his shoulder.

'Do not weep Kestrel, through Tyrael's noble sacrifice the forces of hell have been defeated, at least for a time. Though a heavy price has been paid for our victory today, the cost of defeat would have been far greater. Tyrael's sacrifice has given us all hope, hope for a better world free of the corruption of demons.'

Kestrel drew away from the kindly old man and smiled.

'I know, but after all that's happened, so much has been lost to evil, and now Tyrael has paid for the actions of a traitor with his life, and the Barbarians have lost everything they ever held dear.'

'Yet they still have a chance to find new homes, a new purpose, just as all who have suffered from the actions of the prime evils may now do. Though this peace shall not last forever, we have at least won the time to prepare ourselves for whatever may come to pass.'

Together the pair journeyed south, soon leaving the cold Northlands behind them as they began to make their way towards Caldeum. But one evening, a long day's ride had brought them to a small village in the empires northern borderlands. While they had yet to reach the vast deserts of the empires interior, the heat had risen steadily as they had made their way southwards and Kestrel felt drained as she dismounted from her horse.

Deckard dismounted from beside her.

'We cannot be more than a few days ride from Caldeum now, once we reach the capital we can either stay there or travel on to almost anywhere in the world. It would be a good place to gather information on the state of the world as the worldstones destruction has surely created significant upheaval. '

'Just as well, I don't feel up to travelling much further,' and as the words left her lips, the world suddenly seemed to spin and turned to blackness.

When she came to, Kestrel found herself lying on a soft bed and noticed both Deckard and an unfamiliar woman who looked like one of the villagers fussing over her. Deckard noticed her stir and said.

'Kestrel, I was quite worried for a moment, you collapsed before Nasira insisted I have you brought here.'

Kestrel politely thanked the kindly looking healer who after shooing away Deckard and proceeded to examine her and then question her for a time before she finally told a shocked Kestrel her findings. Kestrel soon found Deckard at the local inn and after making sure the two of them were out of earshot of the other guests, the old man asked.

'Are you feeling better dear? What did Nasira say?'

Kestrel felt the blush on her face but whispered to Cain.

'I'm not ill, according to Nasira I'm expecting a child.'

The old man's eyes lit up in surprise and happiness, 'oh that's wonderful dear, but who is the father? I never noticed you take a lover while we were travelling, and for the symptoms to be showing themselves now it must have happened while we were at mount Arreat. Unless …..'

Kestrel noticed his eyes widen in shock, 'Tyrael's the father isn't he.'

Kestrel nodded, 'to think that he will never know of his daughter.'

Deckard was confused, 'a daughter? But how could you know that for certain?'

Kestrel smiled, 'while attachment is not forbidden for us very few of us marry, as many of us loath the idea of surrendering our freedom to practice magic, and most men have always been fearful of us, no doubt a legacy of the Vizjerei clan's misinformation. However of those of us who do marry or take lovers, for a reason that has always been unknown to us we always bear daughters, and so there is no doubt that I shall as well.'

Deckard looked awestruck, 'to think, in my lifetime I would witness such an event. It is quite beyond anything of my knowledge. While demons have been well known to take their perverse pleasures on mortals in many different ways, the angels have never been known to consort with mortals in any physical manner. While Tyrael has been a rare exception in his dealings with mortals in that he has always believed in the potential of humanity, I could never have imagined even him taking a mortal lover. Your daughter shall indeed be unique Kestrel. A child born of both angel and human with the power of the high heavens and the elements of nature as befits a sorceress.'

Kestrel beamed at the thought before Baal's last words flashed across her memory and she shuddered at the thought of what the demons would do to her child in revenge for Baal's death.

'Deckard, while we may have won a great victory by destroying Baal, I fear this war is far from over. It may take a year, it may take centuries but sooner or later the demons will return. When they do, they will be very angry for our resisting them and will seek their vengeance on me. If it comes to that, you must promise me to do all you can for my child.'

Deckard nodded solemnly, 'of course, I owe you a debt and I would be honoured to do what I can if it is needed. But what shall you do? The child will be powerful, of that there is no doubt, and such power cannot remain untrained or it can become a danger.'

'I know, that is actually one of the main reason why the clan of sorceresses have been so eager in their taking and training girls with the talent. Those with the power within them if left untrained can easily be exploited by those who would use their power for evil. While the Vizjerei clan has become much less powerful in recent times, there are still those in the world who would seek to use the demonic powers as a quick route to influence. I still have many friends among the clan and when my daughter is old enough, one of them will be able to train her. While normally among sorceresses, daughters are trained by their mothers I fear for what may happen if we were to be attacked suddenly. If she takes her noviciate among the clan she would be safe if I were to be attacked during that time. Also, while don't doubt that I will be able to teach her many lessons, her power will be very different than mine and they will be able to teach what I cannot. However I have a long time to consider the best course of action, as the normal age for girls to begin a formal apprenticeship among sorceresses is twelve years of age.'

Deckard seemed to agree before he insisted that she get some rest and so Kestrel awoke the next morning feeling quite refreshed and ready to head out. Two days later Deckard and Kestrel finally reached Caldeum, the jewel of the east beckoning to them as they passed through the city gates.

Deckard stretched, clicking a few bones as he dismounted from his horse and said.

'Ahh Caldeum, the jewel of the east, it has been far too long since I last set foot here.'

Kestrel smiled, 'we should be safe enough here, at least for now and we ought to be able to learn much of the state of the world as traders pass into the city from all directions carrying news from abroad as well as new goods. Though it seems an age since I was last here, I feel a lot more comfortable here than journeying on westward.'

'You mean to stay here then?'

'Yes though I may move on in the future, I feel that I should remain at least until my daughter is of a more manageable age. The caravan routes are no place for babies, but what of you? What will you do Deckard? With Tristram destroyed and Khanduras in chaos, where shall you go?'

'I will stay here as well, at least for the time being. The great library of Caldeum is a treasure house of lost knowledge and some of the tomes may hold a clue on what the fate may have in store for mankind. Also, you should not be by yourself when facing such a situation as the birth of your child my dear.'

'Thank you Deckard, I will be most grateful and I'm sure Tyrael will be as well.'

And so it was that the sorceress and the elder settled in Caldeum, the odd pairing soon purchasing a home not far from the main bazaar and starting a new life together. At first the locals were somewhat suspicious of the strangers but soon welcomed them into the community as gossip spread that the elderly scholar was the young woman's father who was simply looking out for his recently widowed daughter. Deckard Cain was as good as his word and he spent most of his time within the great library, scouring through forgotten tomes in search of lost knowledge of the Horadrim. Kestrel however set up a market stall, dealing in small magic's to help the locals and soon found her services valued by the community as word spread of her victories in fighting the demons at mount Arreat. Kestrel felt contented as her pregnancy progressed smoothly, though she missed Tyrael's presence often and still felt the grief of his passing. She was grateful for Deckard Cain's support and found herself wondering what she'd do without the old man who'd seemingly become a father figure without her even knowing it.

But in a world such as theirs which was always under threat by those who would collaborate with the demons, such idyll could not last forever. Deckard came into the house one evening many months later, the grave look in his eyes visible to Kestrel as he sat in his chair while Kestrel reclined on a couch, her back supported by pillows.

'I bring you grave news my dear, an old friend of mine from Tristram had recently decided to come to Caldeum and she and her daughter were attacked by members of a cult just outside the city gates.'

Kestrel gasped, 'to think, so close to Caldeum after so much time has passed since the defeat of the prime evils, are they alright?'

'Yes, thankfully the iron wolves intervened and cut down the cultists, but it does cast a shadow over us. I can only hope that this was a coincidence, but I fear otherwise'

Kestrel grimaced and laid a hand over her swollen middle as a sudden pain made itself known, the gesture was noted as Deckard asked.

'Are you well? Your time cannot be long now.'

The pain passed and Kestrel relaxed, 'I think I'm alright but what about your friend?'

'I told you of the witch Adria, she gave birth to a daughter recently and decided to come to Caldeum as she wished to speak with me urgently.'

Not long afterwards another pain made Kestrel moan and she bade Deckard.

'It's time, fetch the midwife.'

Deckard hurried to do as he was bade and after he had done so he found Adria where he had left her in the local inn.

'Deckard my old friend, I trust our heroine is in the best of care?'

'Indeed, the midwife and her assistant are with her now and so there is little more I can do for Kestrel at the moment.'

Deckard saw the witch gaze down at the bundle in her arms before she looked at him with an intense look that he had sometimes seen her wear.

'Deckard, I will not waste your time, I would not have sought you out so urgently without a good reason to do so. I need a favour, for both my sake and that of my child. Promise me that you will at least listen to me.'

The elderly scholar was confused but nodded as the witch began her request.

'Ever since Tristram was destroyed I have been on the trail of Zoltun Khule's legacy as I believe that his black soulstone will provide the key to take revenge against the evil that devastated our land and I believe I may have a lead on the keys to unlock his archives. But now I fear that these cultists may be aware of my efforts and mean to kill me. I cannot allow my Leah to share my fate and so I would deem it a favour if you could look after her for me, just for the time being. I will send word when I am safe.'

Deckard was astonished, 'Zoltun Khule, then you mean to use his stone to trap the demonic essences of the prime evils? That's a dangerous path you tread my friend. But are you certain you want to do this?'

Adria nodded, 'I lost everything I had to those fiends, and think of what they did to our friends. Griswald, Peppin, young Wirt…. So many senseless deaths and now I have a chance to make sure that they didn't die in vain.'

'If you are certain, then I shall, but I am hardly ideal to raise a child at my age.'

'What of your friend Kestrel? Can she not help you? Leah and Kestrel's daughter could grow up together.'

'Kestrel will face many challenges and I will do all I can to aid her and her daughter. Though I fear what could happen if the Prime evils were to learn of the children, both will potentially be a great threat to them and tonight has proven that many of their agents still linger among us.'

Adria had been nodding, 'indeed, you are wise my friend which is why I have chosen you for this task, why I believe that you could give my Leah the best chance.'

'Very well, but how soon must you leave?'

Adria handed over the wrapped bundle and Deckard gently took the child and gazed down, where a tuft of dark red hair was just visible peeking out from the blankets. Adria reached into her cloak and passed a small bag which made a clinking noise as she set it onto the table in front of Deckard.

'Here, take this, this should cover food and clothing for her with a bit extra for when she's older.'

Adria got up from her chair, bent down and kissed her sleeping daughter and whispered something that Deckard couldn't make out before she raised the hood of her cloak and set off into the night.'

The old man gazed thoughtfully at the sleeping child in his arms.

'_Hmmm, what shall you grow to be little one? What manner of destiny lies before you? Is the nature of one's path determined by the actions of their forebears or can one's own will change the scrolls of fate?'_

Deckard slowly got up and made his way out of the inn and headed back to the home he had long shared with his beloved companion, his heart sinking as he realised what he would have do in order to fulfil his promises. The night felt to Deckard like one of the longest of his life as he listened to the sounds coming from the bedroom, helpless to assist as Kestrel laboured to give life to the daughter of Justice. But finally as dawn broke the cries of a newborn echoed through the house, disturbing the child who had so far been silent and causing her to cry as she was suddenly awakened.

'Hush now little one, let us now go and see how your aunt fares after her trial.'

Deckard did his best to settle the child, eventually putting her back to sleep just as the midwife came down the stairs, looking weary but triumphant as she spoke to him.

'A strong and healthy baby girl, and both mother and child should be fine but try not to disturb them as they both need their rest.'

'Thank the heavens for that, for I cannot deny I was worried.'

'You should be resting as well, my assistant and I will watch over the children but who is this child you carry?'

'My great niece, her mother was attacked during the night by agents of an unknown cult and she asked me to protect Leah while she draws the rest of them away from here.'

The midwife looked grim but smiled at him and volunteered to watch Leah as he went to his room and slept, the nights events having exhausted him. He stirred a few hours later and went up to Kestrel's room finding his friend awake in bed. She looked exhausted, but the love was clear in her eyes as Deckard watched the scene with his own eyes misting. Kestrel finally noticed him and beckoned him to come forward and so he approached and sat down beside the bed and whispered.

'How do you fare my dear?'

'As well as can be expected, given the circumstances.'

'Have you chosen a name for the child?'

'Gabrielle, considering who her father is I thought it quite fitting.'

Deckard chuckled, 'yes, quite so.' His humour fled as he remembered what he had to do, 'I'm afraid I cannot linger here much longer.'

Kestrel was confused, ''why ever not? Gabrielle will need her grandfather.'

'I know and I will do all I can for her,' Deckard hurriedly explained what had happened to Adria and why he had to leave as Kestrel's face fell as she knew he was right to consider doing so.

'Well Deckard, you must do what is best, I trust you and I know that your reasons are good ones, but I will miss you terribly.'

'As shall I my dear, but before I leave I have a gift that should prove useful for when young Gabrielle is old enough.'

He reached into his robe and pulled out a small crystal orb that Kestrel felt giving off waves of power.

'This is a Horadric focus, mages of the order used them long ago to assist in channelling their magic. Only a handful were ever made and all of them were blessed by Tyrael himself, this should assist Gabrielle to control her angelic powers as the magic flowing through it is quite similar to her that of her birthright.'

Kestrel smiled, 'I thank you, I have been concerned as to how any sorceress could possibly teach her to control her power as she will be quite unique in her gifts.'

Deckard heard the cry of his other charge and remembered his duty, 'I must leave, and I can only pray that we shall see each other soon.'

He bent down and kissed both mother and daughter goodbye before he went downstairs to collect his charge from the midwife. As he exited the city gates, he looked back towards the house and whispered.

'The seeds of the future have begun to grow, and now only time will tell how the new life shall bloom.'


	2. Stars Fall as Evil's Shadow Lenghthens

Angels, Demons and the Worlds Ending

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Action violence, occasional fluff, ooc main characters, liberties taken with cannon timelines.

Authors Note: _I'm fairly happy with the reception the prologue got, I'll get to the main action in Diablo 3 as soon as possible, but the back story does need to be told. If you're wondering what the picture of Gabrielle I'm trying to picture is, picture a taller Hammer (from Fable two) with a fairly similar face to the Diablo 2 sorceress._

Chapter 1: Stars Fall as Evil's Shadow Lengthens

Gabrielle Justitia felt her heart pound as she stole through the silent halls of the Ashani sanctum, for she hoped that tonight was going to be the night where the questions she had long held were finally going to be answered. Weeks of careful observation and planning had gone into observing the paranoid old Vizjerei mage who ran the library so that she could finally gain access to the tomes she had long sought, ever since she had learned of their contents which could finally be the key to the mysteries that had plagued her for most of her life which had finally gained even more significance only a month prior. Gabrielle sighed as her feet slowly carried her towards the vast domed hall which by day would be swarming with mages and apprentices from all across Sanctuary.

Twenty years had passed from that turbulent evening when she had been born in Caldeum and Gabrielle had grown up fairly happily with her mother and sometimes her grandfather and cousin when they came to visit. But as happy as she had been, she always felt different to the other merchant's children who she had played with in the streets and market squares of that city. It hadn't helped that she had always been so different to them in so many ways, her appearance being one of the main things which had always made her feel different. While most of the inhabitants of the Kehjistan interior were quite thin and of only average height compared to some of the foreign travellers and merchants passing through. Gabrielle had dwarfed her mother by the time she was ten and had always been unnervingly strong in many of the Caldeum resident's eyes. Now at twenty she stood at almost seven feet tall and was as powerfully built and strong as a barbarian with coal black hair that just touched her waist, her mother's classic Kehjestani features and bright blue eyes. While she had always known of the magic in her blood from the lessons her mother had given her, mere magic could never explain some of the inexplicable things that had seemed to happen around her as she grew…

_Gabrielle had been about seven when a foreign merchant had come into the market and had begun to haggle with a few of the merchants. He came to her mother's stall and began trying to negotiate on a bulk order of potions. Gabrielle noticed a strange smell hanging about the man and found something mistrustful in his eyes. Nobody believed her at the time, but later that same evening, it was found that the goods he had been trading with the other market stallholders were fakes, and the promissory note he had given to her mother wasn't even worth the paper it had been written on. The man was later arrested and was discovered to be a well-known confidence trickster who was notorious in his home city of Kingsport…_

_Gabrielle had been about eleven years old when Aschif, one of the well to do carpet and silk merchants had asked for her and a few of her friends to help him move some of his stock from his warehouse to his market stall promising to pay them all quite a considerable sum of gold. Her friends all agreed eagerly, the money proving an irresistible lure to them and while Gabrielle had followed her friends, but something had seemed odd to the young girl from the beginning. When she entered the warehouse, her instincts were proven right, when there were no silk or carpets to move, but instead a coven of sinister looking robed and hooded figures preparing ritual circles and candles. The scent of freshly spilled blood assaulting her nose and the sight of two of her close friend's broken bodies lying in the circles proved more than she could take as Gabrielle's power snapped. Before she knew it, and before the hooded men and Aschif could react Gabrielle felt the surge of magic within here and soon the men were all lying dead with terrible wounds all over them. Her friends later telling the watch that she had changed into a hooded being and that she had seemed to fly into the air before crashing to the ground and emitting some kind of strange white light which killed the men._

It had later been discovered that the man's silk and carpet business was a front and that he was actually a member of a cult that worshipped demons as gods. Gabrielle still remembered her mother's reaction when she had gotten home, it was one of only a few times that she had ever seen real fear cross her mother's face as the room seemed thick with it. It was only a few months later, just after her twelfth birthday when Gabrielle had overheard her mother talking to a strange woman when she returned home early from running an errand.

'_Her powers are growing quickly now, it shall not be long before the demons take notice. She's already ran afoul of these cultists once and it was only lucky that they underestimated her strength.'_

'_You are sure that you cannot train her yourself?'_

'_I've been teaching her as much as I can Isendra, and I feel that there is little more she can learn from me. Gabrielle will surpass my abilities as an instructor a long time before she could complete an apprenticeship, it is inevitable that her powers will be far greater than mine. Besides that, I think it best if she were to spend some time away from the city, throw these cultists off her trail. That's not even considering what's been happening here lately, I've been hearing dreadful rumours lately about some of the goings on in the palace of late and if half of them are true….'_

_Gabrielle pushed open the door and saw both her mother and the stranger jump a little._

_The stranger smiled, 'hello, you must be Gabrielle, your mother has been telling me all about you and your gifts. My name is Isendra and I am a sorceress of the Zaan Esu clan and I would be honoured to help you to learn to utilise the gifts that you have been blessed with, if you have the desire to learn.'_

A few days later saw Gabrielle and her new mistress begin their journey into the far east of Kehjistan where she began over eight years of training with the Zaan Esu. Gabrielle rarely hearing from her mother, grandfather or her cousin Leah except for the occasional letter or parcel. The Zaan Esu always called her a prodigy, gifted, talented, but somehow Gabrielle could always sense the unease many of the elders felt whenever she was near. Isendra was a kind mistress and taught Gabrielle much but even she had occasionally accused her apprentice of arrogance on occasion as Gabrielle found the spells almost too easy and absorbed her mistress's teachings like a sponge. Gabrielle's powers grew steadily, but strangely, none of the Zaan Esu ever seemed to be able to teach her to control some of her powers completely. By the time she was twenty, there was little else that Isendra and the other Zaan Esu sorceresses could teach her and she had been told to seek out the Ashani sanctum of the Vizjerei mage clan. Gabrielle had been thrilled at the opportunity to study there and her mother had been proud when she had sent her a message not long after Isendra had declared that she had finished her noviciate. So Gabrielle had arrived at the stately building where centuries of mages had studied the ways of magic and had been awed by its beauty as she arrived and got settled in, eager to expand her knowledge beyond the teachings of the Zaan Esu.

But once she was there, she was disappointed as most of the mages seemed too scared to teach her anything, always making some pathetic excuses as they seemingly did their utmost to stop her progress. The tomes in the library taught Gabrielle far more than any of the wizards did and taught her magic that was very different to the elemental magic she had long studied with the Zaan Esu. But even the tomes seemed to lack the full picture she sought as she spent the next several months pouring over them, searching for the answers that she felt were being kept from her. Thus her routine was established and continued until she had first had the dream.

_An angel draws a sword and in time slashes at a sinister looking stone and shattering it before an entire mountain explodes as two figures ride away from the devastation on horseback…_

_Two angels, arguing in the centre of an ornate room soon begin to fight each other, the larger stripping the wings and some of the armour from the smaller, revealing the vaguely familiar dark face beneath…._

_A falling star streaks across the night sky and lands on a ruined cathedral, her cousin Leah is thrown back by the blast before she recovers and looks down into a gaping abyss with flames licking the sides as bodies of the dead begin to climb up towards her._

Gabrielle had discussed what she had seen with the librarian only for the old man to dismiss it as nonsense, even if the look in his eyes told her otherwise. After looking few a few of the tomes and finding references to others she soon learned that the tomes she sought were forbidden. The masters had refused to even consider her request to access them, even after she had seen the same dream several more times and had received a letter from her cousin which told her that she and Grandpa Deckard had arrived in Tristram and that they were doing research in the old cathedral. It was all too much of a coincidence to Gabrielle and so she knew she needed those books no matter what the masters thought. Which brought Gabrielle back to the present as she crept through the silent bookshelves and stopped before the locked door which blocked access to the tomes the masters had considered too dangerous for most to even see. Sneering in disgust at them, Gabrielle searched for evidence of any wards that might have been placed on the door and after failing to find any, she took one of her hairpins and began to try and pick the lock, praying that she didn't snap it. Finally after a few moments she heard the soft click and opened the door before she shut it behind her and began to search the shelves for the tome she sought. It had once belonged to the great Vizjerei summoner Hozaron and according to a few of the tomes she had read which made reference to it, it contained several accounts of prophecies which had been made that he had spent time studying.

Lighting a lamp, Gabrielle searched the shelves before finally locating the tome she sought and carrying it to a lectern. The man's insanity was clear from some of his writings and his theories on how the demonic powers could be used by mortals.

'_Fool, those powers are little more than bait, that far too many have taken. One can only thank the heavens that the assassins were founded to deal with those mages who drew to close to the demonic influence.'_

Finally about an hour later, towards the back of the book, she found it at last.

_At the end of days, the first sign shall appear in the heavens. The armies of the high heavens and the burning hells shall once again be unleashed and clash upon the world of Sanctuary. But when justice falls, one born with power beyond man shall come from the east to meet the rising darkness._

Gabrielle was silent as she contemplated the prophecy in the book, a growing sense of inevitability coming over her as she thought of all that had happened to her and the stories her mother had told.

'_Mother knew something, the one in the prophecy must be me. It all fits too well, the dreams, my powers. But there must be more to it, the prophecy is incomplete.'_

Further musings were cut off when a figure stepped around a bookcase and came into view, Gabrielle's fear rose when she recognised the garb warn by the cultists from that day in Caldeum.

'Well, well, what have we here? Justitia, so you finally learned of the prophecy? Too bad you won't be leaving here to do anything about it.'

'Traitor!'

The old librarian laughed, 'hardly, I merely serve the true masters of this world, and you and your mother have been a thorn in their sides for far too long. One that will soon be removed at last. I knew you would show up here sooner or later, then all I needed was to lure you in here and that book was the perfect bait. Do you really think I'd just keep it under lock and key? But then again, you always were an arrogant little girl…'

His speech was cut off as Gabrielle brought her wand up and flash froze him before she hefted another nearby lectern and smashing what was left of the late librarian into small shards of ice. Gabrielle dropped the lectern, walked up and whispered.

'And you talk too much.'

Gabrielle knew she couldn't stay at the sanctum, the masters would accuse her of murdering the librarian and for all she knew, they could also be demon worshippers and would seek revenge. Gabrielle searched the shelves and took several other books as well as Horazon's tome. Making her way upstairs to her rooms, she changed into her travelling garb and took her belongings before she slipped out of the sanctuary unnoticed, soon setting out along the road to Caldeum.

'_If I can reach Caldeum I can find a caravan travelling west, if I join the Westmarch route I can separate at the monastery after I pass through Lut Gohlein and cross the pass, New Tristram isn't all that far from there. I just hope mother and Isendra are safe, I should probably let them know what's happened.' _

Gabrielle followed the road to the west, hoping to get as far away from the sanctuary as she could before dawn. But as she looked up a streak of fire seemed to cross the sky above her heading towards the west and a short while later, she felt the faint ripples of magic pass above her head.

'_Justice has fallen, so then it has begun, I can only hope I make it there in time.'_

A week's travel brought her to a small village where she had resided with Isendra while she was training under her. Most of the villagers nodded politely to her as she walked towards the cottage she had shared with Isendra during her training and Gabrielle smiled at the familiar faces she remembered. But as she drew closer to Isendra's cottage, the sickly sweet smell of death assaulted her nose along with a lingering burning scent of scorched flesh. The door fell inside the cottage with barely a touch and a small crest had been carved into it, one was recognizable to any mage or sorceress.

'_The mage slayers have been here, why? Isendra would never consort with demons. I distinctly remember her telling me of the dangers of consorting with them being one of the first things she ever taught me.'_

Stepping inside the cottage, the evidence of a struggle was everywhere. Much of the furniture had been broken and there were scorch marks and large cuts in the walls and floor which looked to have been made with claws.

'_Katars, definitely assassins then, but it looks like Isendra put up a fight.'_

Gabrielle finally found what she had been dreading from the moment she saw the cottage inside the bedroom where she found her mistress lying slumped on the floor alongside the body of an assassin. The corpses did not look old, perhaps only a few days which probably explained why the villagers had yet to find them. Gabrielle finally noticed a letter lying under the bed and so she crouched down and grabbed it. It was addressed to her and looked to have been written in a hurry as the handwriting was barely legible and was badly blotted in places.

_Gabri[Blot]_

_The cultists have [blot] the assass[blots] after me. I don't [blot] what [blot]ery they used to convince them I have been [blot]sorting with the demons, but you must hurry. [blot] have [blot] your mother and told her to [blot], you must travel to the west [blot]. It is now yo[blot] time to take up the fight, much as your [blot]er did long ago. It is your [blot]iny and birth[blot] to fight the demons as without [blot] then the [blot] will fall and humanity [blot] become little more than [blot]ves or food. You need not av[blot]ge me, your triumphs shall [blot] the fools what happens to those who [blot] with demons._

_Isendra._

Gabrielle put down the letter, a few tears in her eyes as she looked at the body of her mentor. She gently picked her up and laid her on the bed with her arms crossed over her chest, hiding the wounds before she went downstairs and piled the broken furniture before pouring lamp oil over it and spreading more around the house.

'_Rest in peace my friend, your fight is done and those cultist will pay, I swear it.'_

With a casual flick of her wand, Gabrielle sent a bolt of flame onto the pile of broken furniture which roared into flame as she left the house and headed back to the village where she told the elder what had happened.

'A terrible tragedy,' he commented after Gabrielle had finished her tale, 'it was a noble act you performed for her as the mark of respect of a grateful student.'

Gabrielle shook her head, 'she always thought I was arrogant, I never had the chance to tell her how grateful I was for her training me.'

The elder smiled, 'this wasn't your fault, and Isendra knew it and the best thing you can do to honour her memory is to carry out her last wish. Tonight we shall feast to honour her memory and tomorrow you can carry out her request, a caravan is travelling on to the west tomorrow and you are more than welcome to travel with it.'

'Thank you elder.'

The elder was as good as his word, having a feast prepared as a mark of respect for Isendra and leading a prayer for the departed sorceress. Gabrielle felt sad as he spoke of the kindly woman who had been a well-respected member of the village who had trained or recognised several of the girls who showed the talent of magic.

After a good feast and a refreshing nights rest at the elder's house, Gabrielle set off with the caravan heading west. As they drew closer to Caldeum, a strange smell assaulted her and Gabrielle was grateful that they did not linger there but passed through after only a day before continuing to the west. Rumours of demons and undead seemed to get worse the further they travelled and by the time Gabrielle reached the coast she began to see adventurers making the journey into the west.

Lut Gohlein was thick with them, so much so that when she stepped into the tavern, she could barely move for the crowds of men, all quaffing ale, singing disgusting songs and telling stories which only seemed to get more unbelievable the more they drank. Gabrielle tried to ignore them despite their leers and found a table in the corner before the landlady came along holding a tray of mugs.

'It's been like this ever since that star came down three weeks ago, I haven't seen so many of them in my tavern at once since the dark wanderer passed through here twenty years ago.'

Gabrielle asked, 'you were here then? Did you see the company of heroes who fought against the prime evils?'

The landlady smiled, 'Oh yes, in fact I remember a young sorceress who I will say you bear an astonishing likeness to. Unlike most of the so called "heroes" who passed through at the time, she and a handful of others actually fought the demons rather than just boasting about it. Her name was Kestrel I think and I heard later that she defeated Diablo, and then Baal at mount Arreat.'

Gabrielle was stunned, 'that's my mother, I knew she fought against the demons and was one of the company, but….'

A customer called out to the landlady who smiled at Gabrielle and put a tankard in front of her before disappearing into the crowd.

Gabrielle drank the ale in silence, lost in thought over what the kindly landlady had told her.

'_Mother actually destroyed the prime evils themselves?'_

Gabrielle wasn't alone for long, a shifty looking man with black hair and a moustache sat down at her table a short while later, his thick Kingsport accent giving his country of origin away in an instant.

'Evening honey, off to join the hunt are we? Want some company? I once killed a thousand demons single handed.'

Gabrielle asked, 'who are you?'

'The names Lyndon, but for you I could be anyone.'

'Could you be a target? Or perhaps a pig? I could turn you into one you know.'

Gabrielle had her wand in her hands and twirled it, a predatory smile on her face as she looked at the scared looking man.

'A bloody wizard? I hate bloody wizards.'

He ran off and Gabrielle sniggered into her tankard as the landlady came past.

'Nice work, he's probably one of the more obnoxious out of this lot, he came a week ago and he's tried it on with just about every other woman about your age in this city. Worst thing about it is she's actually got some skills unlike most of these wannabes.'

'Hopefully that might teach him a lesson.'

'I doubt it, I know his kind, seen lots like him before over the years including one or two of the company. He'll move on to somewhere he isn't known and then try it on with the women there until the husbands and fathers work out what's going on and run him out of town.'

Gabrielle grimaced at the thought as she finished her drink, thankfully none of the other "heroes" tried to flirt with her and kept their distance even when a noisy fist fight broke out between a few of them which ended when the local watch came into the tavern and arrested most of the crowd.

Gabrielle left with one of the caravans the next day and began the long trek over the desert pass. No demons molested them on the way but the further west they travelled the stronger the sense of awakening evil seemed to make itself known. None of Gabrielle's fellow travellers seemed to be affected, but she could somehow feel it all around them. After passing the monastery of the sisters of the sightless eye which looked to be increasing its guard on the surroundings Gabrielle moved on alone for several days. Her wariness began to increase as she began to cross the last few hills and the smell of death and burning told her of the rising of evil long before she saw it. But nothing she had heard prepared her for when she finally caught sight of the town under siege below her.


End file.
